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Here at the Rose Diaries we love pregnancy; no matter the season. But for those ladies that are going to be pregnant during the Autumn, we have put together some of the best reasons to be pregnant from September to November.

It’s cooler

Being pregnant in the summer may mean that you get to wear maxi dresses, but it does also mean that you have to suffer through the heat. No number of fans, air conditioning or loose clothing can help when the temperature rises. But fear not pregnant ladies; the Autumn is on its way.

Autumn is cooler, fact. The days are not quite so unbearable and with the temperature drop in the evenings, you can actually try to get some sleep rather than spending the night tossing and turning in the heat.

Halloween

We love Halloween and when you are pregnant, this particular event means that you can dig out those face paints and transform your bump into a pumpkin. We know it might not be original; but my gosh is it fun!

Stretchy jumpers

Buying maternity wear can be a pain; but with the Autumn comes the dawn of the jumper. For pregnant ladies, often their usual jumpers are stretchy enough to accommodate their growing bump; ideal for those who want to save some money.

The end of the summer holidays

Do you have already have children? If you do, then there is a good chance that the lengthy summer holidays will have taken their toll on you. Well, Autumn means that the kids head back to school, giving you a spot of time to yourself, or if you are still working, the chance to enjoy some adult time!

You can get outside again

As we have already pointed out, the summer heat may deter you from getting out there and walking around. Exercise is important for pregnant ladies, so Autumn means that you can dig out your boots and take a walk through a forest, all without having to cope with the unavoidable sweats.

It is nearly Christmas

Okay, so we might be getting ahead of ourselves with this one. But the arrival of Autumn means that it is almost acceptable to start thinking about Christmas. If you are due in the winter then it also means that your new arrival is imminent; and what could be more exciting than that?

Pregnancy is amazing, wonderful and magical; but it also can be hard work. So, we hope that our great reasons to be pregnant during Autumn has helped. Remember, on those days when you feel a little down, that you are growing a miracle within you and that is something that should always keep you smiling, no matter the season.

The Rose Diaries are always about sharing positive experiences but while Mums may laugh about the effects of pregnancy on their bodies but the reality of having a weak pelvic floor is no joke. Some women sail through pregnancy without a hint of incontinence, while others spend nine months crossing their fingers that simple activities like laughing or sneezing don’t cause them to leak.

What is the Pelvic Floor, and how does it Weaken?

Your pelvic floor is made of muscles stretching from your pubic bone to your tailbone. It supports your bladder, bowel, uterus, and vagina, keeping them where they are supposed to be, cradling them like a hammock.

You are at risk of suffering from a weakened pelvic floor if you have had:

a baby weighing 9lbs or above;

multiple births;

lengthy second stage (pushing) of labour of more than an hour;

perineal tearing during labour;

an assisted birth (ventouse or forceps);

Pregnant women over the age of 35, and very overweight women, are also at a higher risk, as are those for whom incontinence runs in the family.

Why is it Bad?

Apart from causing lack of bladder and bowel control leading to uncomfortable and embarrassing moments, weakened pelvic floors are a contributing factor in vaginal prolapse – a condition where the organs in the pelvis slip out of place and push against the exterior walls of the vagina, causing these vaginal walls to collapse and, in some cases, protrude out of the vaginal entrance.

Weakened pelvic floor muscles can also cause decreased sexual sensitivity and pleasure and orgasms so when you do eventually find the time and energy to have sex, you may find that you enjoy it less than you should be, which is never ideal!

How to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor

We always talk about the positive effects of pregnancy and birth so the good news is that there are easy, fun exercises to help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Next time you go to the toilet stop your urine mid flow. The muscles you use to do this are your pubococcygeus muscles and squeezing them like this 10-15 times, holding each time for a count of five, is a very effective way to help prevent pregnancy related incontinence. Another way to do this is to use a Kegel exerciser to help you focus on the right muscles.

It might be surprising to learn that Pelvic Floor Exercising products are becoming increasing popular due to technological advances and a social acceptance/un-tabooing of woman hood. If you are thinking about buying a Pelvic Floor Exerciser, it is important to do your research as there are a lot on the market and you need to find a product that suits you. There is a huge amount of information on the internet to confuse and baffle you so it is worthwhile speaking to a company such as White Pharmacy. Rather than just trying to sell you something, they care about you and your health and what to help you choose the right solution for you.

White Pharmacy are now running a competition to win an Elvie. The retail price is £149, so it’s a great competition. Details of how to enter arehere.

Jumping on a trampoline has never quite been the same after my children (!!) so it is a good idea to start taking your pelvic floor exercises more seriously to minimise the risk of any related issues. In fact, it is something you will benefit from for the rest of your life as these muscles naturally weaken as we age.

When you receive your due date, some mums to be cling to the EDD and see it as the finishing line to their pregnancy journey but what happens when that date comes and goes? The impatience starts (never mind avoiding the phone calls from well meaning friends asking if you have had the baby yet), so here are our top tips for 10 things to do when you are overdue.

1. Pamper yourself with a pedicure ….. it may have been a while since you could stretch down there!

2. Offer to babysit for a friend with a baby ….. gives you some practice and your friend a break for a few hours.

3. Tell your partner how much you love them and maybe indulge in some sexy time!!

4. Make some food that you can freeze such as lasagne or chilli …. you will be grateful for the ability to just warm it up when you have a newborn baby.

Our resident baby blogger, Lynette, shares how she is feeling in the third trimester.

I can’t believe that as I sit here and write this I am 33 weeks pregnant, with our little lady wriggling around inside my tummy like mad. I feel like I have blinked and the last 8 months have flown by. This is my second pregnancy and it has been a completely different experience than my first with our beautiful son. With your first child, you are entering the unknown. I read many books, advising me on what happens in pregnancy and labour. I will say that many of them were right in what they were saying in hindsight, but at the time I was a little freaked out by them. I remember thinking “how can it stretch that far?”or “how did that baby fit in there?”, but it does and they do.

So now that I am on the home straight or the Third trimester as the professionals call it, how am I feeling? The simple answer to that question is, excited, nervous, fretting and blessed.

I am excited about meeting our beautiful daughter. My husband, son and I have conversations most evenings about what we will think she look like. My son was the double of my husband when he was born. In fact he was his little mini me. So I am hoping that she will look like me. I found it quite upsetting how everyone commented on how much our son looked like his dad. Not because my husband isn’t a looker, I think he is hot anyway. But, merely down to the fact that I had been in labour, I had done the hard work, couldn’t someone at least say “isn’t he like you”. However, this time I am going to embrace whatever people say. As D day gets closer we are looking at names and we have now officially made a decision, but we are not telling anyone yet.

Why am I nervous when I have done this before? I think it is only human to be apprehensive of things. But what I have come to realise is that this is what our bodies are designed to do. I have been listening to my yoga and relaxation CD from MamaBabyBliss and I have to say I was skeptical at first but the CD is really relaxing and it has chilled me out. It certainly has enabled me to focus my mind somewhere else and if you are like me and suffer with anxiety then I would recommend it.

I’m trying to think of things that I want to do differently this time round in labour. I whole heartedly focused on labour last time, which I don’t think helped as silly as that sounds. This time I intend on going into labour with a full face of makeup and decent hair. Why? You may ask. I figured that when the contractions start I need to focus my energy somewhere else as it can be a long process. I’m not going to lie, it takes a lot of work to get this face looking decent, so thats a couple of hours sorted. I am also going to read a book if I can. I am an English teacher, I love reading. I find that I lose myself in books, and don’t notice what is going on around me.

I also said that I was fretting. I am obviously fretting because I had a difficult birth last time. However, looking back, it is that experience that gave us our beautiful son and I can only in some respects see that as a positive. So why else am I fretting? When I had our son, because there was a chance I may have to have an emergency section (thankfully I didn’t) they came round to tidy my “area”. This has to be the biggest all time low in my life. Normally well kept I explained to the midwife who laughed. But like I explained to her, “how can you trim the hedges when you can’t even see the bush.” I can not go through this again, any dignity I did have went in that 5 mins. So a trip to the grooming parlour is in order!

The midwife asked my husband at our last appointment would he be active in the labour and would he watch the baby coming out. Now, I know this is an experience that all partners should be part of and my husband will be there in the labour room and will be very much an active part of the labour. I don’t know how I would have coped first time round without him. But as for him looking “down there” I’m not so sure. I told him it would be “like watching your favourite pub burn down” does he want to be left with that image?

Most people say that in the last trimester they start to feel tired, which I have to say is true. But it isn’t like the tiredness in the first 12 weeks. In a strange way it’s a nice tired, knowing that your body is getting its rest so you can bring life I to the world. My hair is great and so is my skin, so much so that I can’t remember the last time I wore makeup in the daytime.

But most of all, as our little lady wriggles around, sticking her elbows and feet out of my tummy I feel blessed. So many people long to be in the situation I am in, and I by no means take it for granted. So when I sit there , worrying, fretting or complaining about how many people have called me huge that day, I count my blessings and realise I should embrace every aspect of my pregnancy.